Our favourite places to eat and drink near Canterbury
The Kent Downs has a habit of hiding good things down quiet lanes. The 1740 pub doing the best sourdough pizza for miles. The bakery that's also a farm shop that's also the best breakfast stop in the village. The wine estate that most people who live nearby have somehow never been to. Once you know where to look, the area around the cabin is well worth exploring.
These are the places we send guests to most.
Pubs
The Mermaid Inn, Bishopsbourne (3 miles)
A proper gastro pub, 3 miles from the cabin in the village of Bishopsbourne. Good food, fair prices and the kind of straightforward quality that's harder to find than it should be. Right for a first evening when you want a decent dinner without having to think too hard about it.
The Black Robin, Kingston (3 miles)
The building dates back to 1740, which you'd believe the moment you walk in. The Black Robin does sourdough pizzas and classic ales - a combination that works better than it has any right to. Good for a casual evening or a long lunch if you don't feel like walking anywhere for it.
The Duck Inn (4.19 miles by foot)
Worth the walk. A 4-mile loop through lanes and woodland gets you to The Duck Inn, a cosy gastro pub known for its roasts and seasonal menu. Go at lunch, eat well and walk back through the Downs in the afternoon.
Breakfast and bakeries
Gildas Bakery, Bishopsbourne (3 miles)
The place to stop on the way in and the one guests come back to for a slower morning to pick up THE most delicious pastries / bread. If you're arriving on a Friday and want to do one stop before the cabin, make it this one - head to the butchers after and pick up bits for a BBQ back at the cabin.
Tadpole Tearooms, Bishopsbourne (3 miles)
A cute tea room in the courtyard - great breakfast, coffee and cake and you can just sit and enjoy.
Worth booking ahead
Simpsons Wine Estate, Barham
A working wine estate 3 miles from the cabin that does tastings of their English rosé. The kind of afternoon that requires no further justification in the middle of a countryside weekend. Buy an extra bottle to enjoy back at the cabin whilst you watch the sun set.
The Pig at Bridge Place
The Pig is the kind of place that rewards going without a strict plan. You can walk the grounds and have a coffee for nothing much or book a table and eat extremely well. Either version is worth it, but the food is amazing and the reason most people make the trip.
Between the Mermaid, the Black Robin and the walk to the Duck Inn, you've got most evenings sorted. Add Gildas for the mornings and Simpsons if the sun's out and the area around the cabin looks after itself pretty well.
